{Grace Erin} Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Baby Grace finally made her appearance on Friday, January 20th...only two weeks late of her due date. I can already tell this little girl is going to take after her stubborn daddy. The last two weeks have probably felt like months to expecting momma, but they made for an entertaining couple of weeks reading all of Cora's Facebook updates anxiously awaiting Grace's arrival...

• - Full of Grace for 288 days.
• - Luella just told me "I wanna hold baby grace"... Me too Lu, me too...
• - Time to go get "the" salad, I guess....#projectgetoutgracebeforefriday
• - I am not getting my way. I don't do that well. Come on Grace. You got notice. It's time to leave on your own before the cops come tomorrow morning.

Cora was scheduled to arrive at Memorial Hospital on Friday morning for induction at 6am. She was now two weeks late and that is the longest the doctors would allow her to go. I got the text at 5:58am that they were on their way and another at 6:19am asking if I was awake. Ha, I was already on my way at that point. I've been waiting for this day like it was my own birthday...there was no way I was going to miss it. With my camera in tow, I arrived to the hospital and they were already all settled into the SAME room that Luella was born in. I thought that was super comforting to me...I hoped it was to Cora too. She was super anxious about being induced.

We knew it was starting when Cora directed all three of us to stop talking. So Aaron, Becky, & I just silently sat all checking our phones, texting one another, and updating our Facebook status. Cora rolled over on her right side, left arm gripping the bed rail, and her body shaking as she labored through the contractions. Occasionally she would grab her head with her right arm and pull her hair. The contractions were coming and she was not getting a break. You could tell by watching her that it was intense. The nurse checked her one last time and Cora was already dilated to 9cm and then the rush began to prepare the room for delivery. The doctor came running into the room still putting her hair back and her scrubs on. She missed Luella's delivery...thanks to shift change and she promised to not miss this one. She was amazing!

When labor finally started, I think Grace must have been as excited to exit as her mom because she shot out and the poor thing was so bruised. The nurses and doctor called it "rapid descent" and the bruising on her face was from the trauma of literally being pushed out of the birthing canal so quickly. No joke...it was fast! They started administering Pitocin at 8am, water broke at 9am, and baby Grace was born at 9:59am. It all happened that quickly!

I'm so happy to been there again for the Volkoffs second little girl and to have it captured it on film. It truly is the one of the most amazing experiences of my lifetime...to watch new life enter this world. It has such a profound impact and I'm still in awe of Cora's strength...laboring and delivering without any drugs. At one time Cora yelled "Get out!"...of course referring to baby Grace in her womb. The most painful moment was when the doc had to rotate Grace because her shoulders were too broad. Cora let out such a loud and primal scream....it kinda scared me for a moment. I don't think I started breathing again until Grace took her first breath and let out a cry. Whew...

Welcome baby Grace....we've been waiting for you!

See the baby story here...

If you are a photographer and think you'd like to capture a baby being a born...do it! Talk to your friends, offer your services, and prepare yourself for the event of a lifetime. You won't regret it...but you might cry for a week after. It's that beautiful.

P.S. I'm not one for blood or anything squeamish (I can hardly stand to get a shot or give blood myself). I was not affected in the least bit by any of it and I saw it ALL. The emotions and beauty of the experience really do overcome any fears you may have. At least they did for me.